Jharsuguda : Jharsuguda Forest Division has taken up a project of creating mini forests on 5 Acre Land using the Miyawaki Method, a Japanese technique of afforestation, to increase the green cover at Eco Park at Malimunda under Jharsuguda.
The Plantation for this started on Saturday, in presence of Jharsuguda District Collector Saroj Kumar Samal, Dist. & Session Judge Pradyumna Kumar Nayak, Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Bikash Ch. Das, Jharsuguda Sub Collector Shiba Toppo, Jharsuguda DFO, Lalit Kumar Patra along with various other members of social organization were present
Miyawaki Forest, a first-of-its-kind in Jharsuguda district ensures that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual. As per the Jharsuguda Forest officials, over 16,000 saplings of indigenous species will be planted on 5 acres of land.
Explaining the benefits of the afforestation method, forest officials said that we could able to plant only 400 plants per acre but by this Miyawaki method, we can grow more than 10,000 plants.
Jharsuguda Divisional Forest Officer Lalit Kumar Patra said, “On the occasion of Van Mahotsav, we are creating a mini forest under Miyawaki Technique, this method, ensures the plant growth 10 times faster, 30 times denser, 100 times more biodiversity. By this method, the plants will become self-sustainable within 3 years. Miyawaki forests are maintenance-free, except for watering them for the first two to three years. Procurement of plants and digging up soil for preparation are the only costs involved. This mini forest will be very helpful in reducing the carbon footprint in this industrial area. Around 8,000 saplings of 40 native varieties will be planted in 1-meter spacing in 1 hectare. Subsequently, this year we are planting sapling with this technique on 2 hectares and in future, we will definitely create more such types of mini forests in Jharsuguda.”
Additionally, 6 Lakhs Plantation will be carried out from the forest department and around 32 Lakhs seedlings will be distributed through kiosk and model distribution format, for wide publicity of the seedlings. The local residents can avail these seedlings by showing their ID card at Re. 1 and can take a maximum of up to 5 seedlings, while the forest Range Officer can provide 100 Seedlings and if anyone wants more than 100 seedlings, then he/she can get it after the approval of the Divisional officer.”
